Tami Oldham arrived in Tahiti, in 1983, with the mind to see
the world. She worked at a marina, conditioning and cleaning boats, and that is
where she met Richard Sharp, a young man who had built his own boat while
working at a ship yard in South Africa. Richard was passionate about sailing
and the sea. Being kin spirits, they began dating and fell in love. Then, they
began planning to travel the world in their boat, starting with Japan. A chance
encounter—with a couple Richard knew—would alter Richard and Tami’s plans, for
the couple asked Richard, as a favor, to sail their boat (the couple’s) from
Tahiti and deliver it in San Diego, California. They would pay the expenses of
the two return tickets, first class, plus ten thousand dollars.
It was October. The voyage would take twenty-one days of
smooth sailing, but what started as a dream come true, soon became a nightmare
when they were trapped in the middle of a monster hurricane that took a toll on
them and the boat. Adrift, with scarce provisions, they had to make do until
they died or were rescued... whichever came first.
Tightly edited at 96 minutes, Adrift is a more action driven and more commercial All is Lost. It has the benefit of being
more beautifully shot too, taking advantages of gorgeous sunsets in the ocean, aerial
views of the boat at the mercy of the ocean, and nature shots of beaches,
ocean, and waterfalls, in what may or may not be Tahiti. Adrift is based on a true story, starring Shailene Woodley as Tami
Oldham, and Sam Claflin as Richard Sharp. It is written by Aaron Kandell,
Jordan Kandell, and David Branson Smith, and is produced in part and directed
by Baltasar Kormákur.
Adrift moves
back and forth between two timeframes: five months earlier in Tahiti—the time
when Tami and Richard first met, got to know each other while they romanced,
and decided to travel the world together—and the aftermath of the monster storm
that left them adrift at sea. Both storylines more or less converge in the
middle, right at the center of the monstrous category 4 hurricane Raymond, one
of the worst storms in recorded history. This narrative choice was very clever
and contributed to heighten the tension—aided by acoustic score—while the
audience got to know and feel for the characters’ fates. There is a twist
towards the end that made the story even more poignant and bittersweet.
The romance between Tami and Richard—Shailene Woodley’s and
Sam Claflin’s characters—was beautiful, and Woodley and Claflin had great
chemistry together. They imparted passion and sweetness to the romance, and
both conveyed the quiet desperation of contemplating the odds that they could
(and probably would) die at sea. They looked awfully battered, shipwrecked.
Shailene Woodley has given in Adrift her best performance ever, more so than in The Descendants
and The Fault in Our Stars. Woodley
imparted her character with nuance and authenticity, as a fearless adventurer
who refused to be defeated in the face of adversity and came out the better for
it.
Adrift is, together with Tully (See Snapshots
-#51), Disobedience (See Snapshots
-#50), and The
Children Act, among the best movies I have seen thus far this
2018 cinematic year.
Another great review Carmen. I must see this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy. I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteWe saw this last night on DVD. I liked it, husband thought it was a bit slow but liked it by the end. I have to tell you, that twist really threw me!
DeleteI know. I didn't see that one coming. :-(
DeleteThat's very high praise. It certainly sounds like a film worth seeing. I've been impressed many times by Shailene Woodley's work. I thought she was very good in Big Little Lies.
ReplyDeleteI agree that she was very good in Big Little Lies.
DeleteYes my husband & I liked this one very much, especially since we've done a couple sailing trips and so we enjoy sailboat movies. The book came out quite long ago but the movie seems to do the story well. Kudos to the scenery and the actors too. It's quite an action movie, a love story and suspenseful too. All around well worth seeing! Pretty terrifying to get caught in that situation ....
ReplyDeleteHow awesome that you are into sailing as well, Susan! :-) Yes, an all around excellent movie, though most movie goers didn't think so. It is beautifully shot and well acted too. Did you see Robert Redford's All Is Lost?
DeleteYes we did see All Is Lost when it came out. Interesting & nerve-wracking film too. Quiet! My husband is always correcting little things in boating movies : like what you would not do /or how they tie up the boat / or how they handle it etc. Jumping onto a floating cargo object is not usually wise, ha. But it's interesting to watch what he's willing to do as he boat begins to sink. We are still awaiting the sailing movie: The Mercy. Have you seen it online anywhere on how to see it?
DeleteI did not know of that movie, but I'll make a note to look for it and will let you know where to find it if I do so first.
DeleteI want to see this movie. Good to hear you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteYes, I highly recommend it.
DeleteNot heard of this one before but I think I would like it.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Lynn :D
I, too, think you would like this one, Lynn.
Delete